Get the Party Started
"Get the Party Started" is a song performed by P!nk, and was the first single from her second studio album, M!ssundaztood (2001). It became an international hit and reached the top ten in many countries. The song was P!nk's highest selling at that time. The track was released on October 9, 2001 to positive reviews from critics. After the release of the single, it was confirmed that P!nk would be releasing M!ssundaztood. Writing The song was composed by former 4 Non Blondes frontwoman, Linda Perry. She said that the process of making the song was "so unlike me"; according to her, she was going through a "weird phase" during which she wanted to learn how to program drums. She programmed her first beat, picked up a bass guitar, and, in her words, "did what the beat was asking me to do." She decided to put "every wrong instrument" in the song, and consequently acquired a horn sample. "I was doing the music, the melody was already coming to me in what I wanted the song to be," she said. She finished the song by including in the song "every catch phrase you possibly could imagine", before laughing at the realization that she had written a potential hit single and her first dance song. "You create something in your bedroom or your house, and it's just a fun thing that you're doing," she said. "Then all of a sudden, you hear that song that you started in your house, and it's on the radio. And people are now acknowledging it. It's just trippy." Reception It reached number four on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 on December 29, 2001, becoming one of P!nk's biggest solo hits in the U.S. with "Most Girls" also reaching number four on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2000 and "So What", "Raise Your Glass", and "Just Give Me a Reason" reaching number one in 2008, 2010, and 2013 respectively, and "F**kin' Perfect" that reached number two in America. It peaked at number two in the UK, where it was narrowly denied the top spot by the posthumous release of George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord". It reached number-one in Australia and number-two in many European countries most notably Austria, Germany, Italy and Switzerland, being held off from the top position by Shakira's smash hit "Whenever, Wherever". "Get the Party Started" was certified gold in Australia, Austria, Germany, France Sweden and Switzerland, and in Norway it received a platinum certification. The song was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2003 in the category of "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance", which it lost to Norah Jones's "Don't Know Why". It won the award for "Favorite Song" at the Kids' Choice Awards of 2002, and at the MTV Europe Music Awards of 2002 it won the award for "Best Song". "Get the Party Started" is often considered one of P!nk's signature songs as she tends to finish her shows with this song in her encore section along with a ballad song such as "Nobody Knows" and "Glitter in the Air"; The Truth About Love Tour was the first tour in which P!nk did not perform the song. In December, the song was listed as number 81 on Rolling Stone's Top Songs of the 2000s. Critical reception Allmusic highlighted the song and added: "This record bubbles over with imagination, as hooky pop songs like the title track rub shoulders with glitzy dancefloor anthems like 'Get the Party Started'." Jim Farber was favorable: "The single 'Get the Party Started' has the tricky synth hook of a perfect new-wave hit from the '80s." NME magazine was less positive: "displays the kind of clod-hopping attention-seeking on single 'Get the Party Started' that makes you assume you're listening to a Geri Halliwell record." Jason Thompson described this song and praised: "the dance inducing 'Get the Party Started'. Again, even this isn’t really in the mold of current dance tracks. Instead, it feels more like the kinds of grooves that were coming out in the early Nineties, when alt-rock was influencing the discos as well as the college charts. In fact, it sounds a little like Apollo Smile who had an album out back in ‘91 or so. 'Get the Party Started' also echoes the good time vibe that other hits like Deee-Lite’s 'Groove Is in the Heart' had that successfully won over many fans. This track should do just the same thing. It did for me, anyway." Slant Magazine called this song "retro-dipped dance-pop." Sputnik music marked it as a highlight and added: "It is not all slow and serious going though, as 1st single ‘Get the Party Started’ proves. As the song title suggests, this is the dance-oriented party-starter that the artist’s debut album lacked." Stylus Magazine called this song "near perfection." Music video The music video was shot by director Dave Meyers in Los Angeles in late September 2001. At 1 minute and 46 seconds into the video, an American Flag is shown, a nod to the September 11 attacks just days earlier. In the video P!nk is showering and getting ready to go out, trying on different outfits. One of her friends picks her up, and they drive in a car bobbing their heads to the music. However, the car breaks down. They get out of the car and steal two skateboards from two boys, after which P!nk falls off her skateboard because men in a car are whistling at her. The women arrive at the club but are refused entry by the bodyguard, so to get in they use a scaffold to reach the top of the building. Inside the club, the bartender is played by Linda Perry. P!nk changes her clothes and starts to party, and at the end P!nk dances with two other dancers. She takes off her earrings and necklace and gives it to a person. One of the dancers in the video is Kevin Federline. Also seen is Georvohn Lambert; he became a dancer for other R&B artists. The video uses an abbreviated version of the song, cutting out the last chorus, and also cutting out the instrumentals. The video was nominated at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards for "Best Pop Video" and won the awards for "Best Female Video" and "Best Dance Video". Remixes P!nk teamed up with Redman and Rockwilder for a remix of "Get the Party Started", using elements of the Eurythmics song "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)". The remix was released as a single only in France, where it reached number four and was certified gold. P!nk performed the remix during her I'm Not Dead Tour in 2006 and 2007. The remix was also featured on the 9th installment of the U.S. version of the Now That's What I Call Music! series. Track listing * UK CD1 and Cassette # "Get the Party Started" (Radio Mix) – 3:12 # "Get the Party Started (Sweet Dreams)" (featuring Redman) – 4:05 # "Get the Party Started" (Instrumental) – 3:12 * UK CD2 and German CD single # "Get the Party Started" (Radio Mix) – 3:12 # "Get the Party Started" (K5 Werk Kraft Mix) (featuring Spoonface) – 7:02 # "Get the Party Started" (Pink Noise Disco Mix) – 3:44 # "Get the Party Started" (Video) – 3:21 * American CD single # "Get the Party Started (Sweet Dreams)" (featuring Redman) – 4:05 # "Get the Party Started" (Lady May Remix) - 3:50 # "Get the Party Started" (Ernie's All Night Party Anthem) - 3:23 # "Get the Party Started" (Pink Noise Disco Mix) – 3:44 # "Get the Party Started" (Radio Mix) – 3:12 * European CD single # "Get the Party Started" (Radio Mix) – 3:12 # "Get the Party Started (Sweet Dreams)" (featuring Redman) – 4:05 * Australian CD single # "Get the Party Started" (Radio Mix) – 3:12 # "Get the Party Started (Sweet Dreams)" (featuring Redman) – 4:05 # "Get the Party Started" (Pink Noise Disco Mix - Radio Edit) – 3:46 # "Get the Party Started" (Instrumental) – 3:12 Category:Songs Category:Songs from Greatest Hits... So Far!!! Category:Singles Category:Singles from M!ssundaztood Category:Songs from M!ssundaztood